Credit Connect

Citizens Advice has welcomed DWP’s Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report calling for the waiting time for Universal Credit to be cut from six weeks to a month.

Last month the charity published research which shows some people are pushed into financial difficulty as they wait for their first Universal Credit payment. Citizens Advice has helped people with over 100,000 Universal Credit issues since the benefit was introduced.

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said “The minimum six week wait for your first Universal Credit leaves many people struggling to make ends meet, so any reduction to this period would be good news. We also agree with the committee that Advance Payments – while helpful – are not the full solution to the problems people are facing.”

“But it’s also vital that people get their Universal Credit payments on time, and are offered the practical support they need to adapt to this benefit and manage their ongoing claim. That is why we are calling for a minimum standard of support to be published to help people access and adapt to Universal Credit.”